"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Rohn"

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Holy Quads Batman...

October 12, 2011

As the day went on yesterday my legs got tighter and tighter. High heels may work for calf pain, but every time I had to get up from my desk yesterday my quads were screaming at me. I love the pain. Its been a while since my legs have been this sore, but its all welcome. It shows me how hard I worked and how much CF is doing for my body. It hard to push yourself when you are by yourself so there had been months that I would work at the gym and not feel sore (aside from the first few workouts of a new workout, or my "usual" soreness after leg day). This really reinforces in my mind how CF works and how great it is that it changes up every day. Its great that we dont so the same WODS often and it seems even if we do the same movements, the order and intensity that they are done in is what makes it work.

I saw this on FB yesterday and I loved it. Its inspirational to me for sure. To many women are afraid to push their bodies to their full potential. I would advise to print this out, hang it somewhere you look often and really think about it.

This morning when I got to the gym i was tight... I started the warmup and right away with the air squats I could feel how hard the workout was going to be. I really concentrated on loosening everything up in my legs with the inchworms and the couch stretch. Again, that burning pain that feels so good that you dont want to stop. Sick.

"Ryan" was the task at hand today for the WOD. The real "Ryan" workout includes 7 muscle ups... but seeing as how I cant do muscle ups I was to scale it to include 7 pull ups and 7 dips. I set up the large green band (yay, I have graduated from the black band) for my pull ups, and I used the small green band for the dips. I think next time I will go for the blue band on these. This was for time, but I really wanted to concentrate on my form and get all the movements down.

So, I struggle a lot with pullups (as I have said before) but I am trying not to let it get me down, and I am trying to push to get better at them. When I started on the black band I couldnt get myself up, so I would give myself a boost up and than slowly come down. Eventually I built up so so could complete pullups without touching and do them well. Alas, I have moved to the green band... but I am right back where I started on the black band, with less resistance (help). The first set were ok, but as they went on of course they got harder and harder. K kept reminding me to extend fully on the "down" so that I would get the full benefit of the move.

Dips I dont have much of a problem with. Again, I used the small green band and I feel like they were relatively good through all 5 rounds. It helped to hear K say "tight core" and "explode up." If you think about the movement it really is an explosion from the ground. This helped a lot. It became less of a "controlled" slow movement, which is what I am used to, and became more of a quick push from the bottom of the dip to the top. I was sure to get my shoulders below my elbows each time.

Ohhhhh, burpees... how do I love thee... oh wait. I dont. As we know, the first round is usually the easiest. Well with really sore quads, this was going to be a killer no matter what round it was. Five rounds of 21 burpees. My goal... to keep moving. I really wanted to do all 5 rounds... all 105 burpees without resting. In my head I counted 7-7-7 which actually really helped me get through them. I could hear K "get right up..." "right back down" and "keep moving" through all 5 sets. I think I did much better than I have in the past with my burpees and I am really learning how to control my breathing and movements so I dont die out to fast.

I did in fact not rest at all through the WOD this morning. No breaks, not even for water. I went from one exercise right into the other and used the strengths and weaknesses in each to my advantage. When I was breathing heavy after the burpees I used the pull ups to slow up my breathing and get control. I used the dips to give my legs a break (which I realize wouldnt really happen if I didnt have the assist of the band) and well, I just put it all out on the table for the burpees. At the halfway point I was excited because I wasnt feeling defeated and going into the last round I was just powering through as fast as I can. Overall time 14:08!

Skill was fun today. I am slightly pissed at myself for not holding the weight longer, but it was a 25lb OH hold for max time. I am sure I could have pushed myself to the 3 minute mark... but I ended at 2:43. I didnthahah. It was pretty funny, but annoying at the same time. I held out as long as I can and started to shake a little bit... damn I wish I held out longer!!

Next time I will get em! Tonight I will be quad rolling on the foam roller for sure!

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About Me

I am a 30-something year old woman, "Mama" to a toddling little boy, married and holding a Masters of Architecture. I like to work (yep one of those people who actually love my job and enjoy working extra hours). So really, I am blogging about myself, an "average" woman working full time and on a mission to be healthy both physically and mentally.